SONSHIP 16 THE FIRSTFRUITS

THE FIRSTFRUITS

When the Lord anointed Moses to lead the Children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt, He brought them to SINAI and MARRIED THEM. He spelled out the conditions 9THE MORAL LAW-- TEN COMMANDMENTS) of the union, and they sent word back by Moses, "We Will."

Jeremiah 3:14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I AM MARRIED UNTO YOU: and I will take you ONE OF A CITY, and TWO OF A FAMILY and I will bring you to ZION: (the CLOSEST RELATIONSHIP TO HIM)

Moses then returned to the Mountain, and God gave him the LAW OF CEREMONIES (Statutes and judgments) for their relationship to Him.

Though I do not have an understanding of many of the ceremonies imposed upon them, I do feel that He has given me a bit of light on some of them.

One of them is "THE FIRSTFRUITS" statute. Also the FIRSTBORN. Much emphasis was placed on each of them.

Of course, the FIRSTBORN statute pointed to JESUS, who will be the FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN (OVERCOMERS FROM EVERY CHURCH GENERATION). Because of that, great emphasis was placed upon the FIRSTBORN SON of each family. He would be the PRIEST of the family, in the absence of the father, through death, or otherwise.

God claimed all of the firstborn on the Passover night in Egypt. They were HIS PROPERTY from that time.

Numbers 3:13 Because all the firstborn [are] mine; [for] on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I [am] the LORD.
At Sinai, God also laid claim to the FIRSTFRUITS of all crops grown by the children of Israel. They must be offered to Him as soon as they matured.

Exodus 22:29 Thou shalt not delay [to offer] the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.

In most crops, especially fruits and berries, there is ONE BLOOM which appears FIRST. That bloom ALSO MATURES FIRST. It is modernly called the KING BLOOM, and subsequently the KING BERRY at harvest time. When we pick berries here in the Pacific Northwest, we "go for the King Berry" if possible. It is the biggest and best of the cluster.

Both the FIRSTBORN and the FIRSTFRUITS statutes teach us a truth about what God is doing in the world today.

Revelation 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

I BELIEVE-- that the law of the Firstfruits was given to instruct us about a part of the Plan of God for "BRINGING MANY SONS TO GLORY", and placeing Jesus Christ as the FIRSTBORN among them.

IN MY MIND-- the FIRSTFRUITS COMPANY is synonymous with OVERCOMERS.

They are "earmarked" as-- Revelation 1:6-- "kings and priests unto God"--. (Two other translations say "a kingdom of priests".) (FIRSTBORN-- FIRSTFRUITS) The same is true in Revelation 5:10 -- And hast made us unto our God "kings and priests": and we shall reign on the earth.

This is the same promise which was given to Israel-- provided they would "obey My Voice indeed"-- which they failed to do. See Ex 19:5,6